A Self-Proctored Exam to Gauge Your Backcountry Impact

Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service

Low-impact camping doesn't have to mean tiptoeing naked through the forest and not bathing for weeks. But it does involve treading lightly, showing respect for both the surroundings and your fellow enthusiasts, and using common sense. Here, with the friendly yet firm guidance of our friends at the National Outdoor Leadership School, Outward Bound, and the U.S. Forest Service, is a quiz to determine how low your impact actually is.